Griz Coat

$29,015

180

Big Update...

GOOD NEWS: IT DOESN'T MATTER, BECAUSE WE'VE MADE MORE COATS AVAILABLE!

BETTER NEWS: WE'VE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW POLAR BEAR VERSION (THANKS TO YOUR FEEDBACK!)

Griz Coat Philosophy

As the old First Nations saying goes, "When a pine needle falls in the forest, the eagle sees it; the deer hears it, and the bear smells it."

Does this relate to Griz Coat in any way? The answer is no. But we thought we'd share it with you because it contained the word "bear".

Photo: Hipster glasses sold separately

What the???

Welcome to Griz Coat, the original grizzly bear jacket.

The concept behind it is straightforward. Last Halloween, a couple of us wanted to wear a grizzly bear jacket, but we couldn't find one for sale that looked realistic at all. We weren't going for the cartoonish mascot look, we wanted to look like we were actually donning a grizzly bear. We're talking about a realistic-looking head, claws and fur. The closest thing we could find were coats made from real grizzly bears for, like, two thousand bucks. Ummm...no thanks for a lot of reasons.

So, we ended up having a professional costume designer create a couple coats from scratch. Once we wore them, a bunch of people said they wanted one, so we made a second small batch. Then the same thing happened with the second batch...more people were asking where we got it and had a tough time believing we had them custom made. So here we are, asking the Kickstarter community: "WHO ELSE WANTS A GRIZ COAT?" This is where you reply "I DO". Because if you've read this far, you probably want one (or you're just a friend who's about to contribute $1.50).

Please note that the Griz Coat is highly appropriate for: Halloween, Bay
to Breakers, Monday morning meetings, most weddings, Tuesday morning
meetings, high school reunions, and first dates.

What Are We Doing With the Dollar Dollar Bills, Y'all?

What we've done so far:

A professional designer has produced two different iterations of the coat. Kinks have been worked out. Blueprints have been made.

All materials have been sourced, and their prices have been negotiated with the wholesalers.

Manufacturing and assembly partners have been tested and selected.

Why we need some kickstarting:

Basically, we've done all the necessary legwork, and our only roadblock is that the materials and manufacturing are expensive. This is why we can't do things the traditional way (i.e. front all the
money, make a bunch of coats, and hope people want them), and why we need the Kickstarter community to step up. So we'll be using the funds to buy materials and get Griz Coats manufactured for anyone who wants one.

But it can't be that expensive, right? We thought the same thing until we started researching how much the materials cost, especially the fur. And once we have all the materials ready to go, then we have to pay someone to do the cutting/stitching/assembly by hand right here in America. That's right, Griz Coat is HAND-MADE IN THE USA, which is probably appealing to some, not-so-appealing to others, but definitely justifies the $200 sticker price!

Photo: a dude taking a photo of a dude

Product Description

Faux fur: ultra soft, incredibly-realistic fabric

Bear-head hood: shockingly lightweight, with a comfortable foam interior; plus, it's detatchable, in case you need to wear it in a more formal setting

Eyes, teeth, claws and nose: striking resemblance to the real-deal

Reinforced over-stitching: double the strength, double the fun

One size fits most: we've had people anywhere from 5'6" to 6'3" wear it comfortably

Photo: bears are lazy, so they wait for buses too

Need we say more? Be a part of bear coat history, and please pledge whatever your bank account can bear.**

Support this project

Select this reward

Pledge $10 or more
About $10

You are now part of the Griz Coat family, which is currently comprised of more than several people. If you wish, your name will be listed on our website, and this may eventually help you find true love and eternal happiness.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $25 or more
About $25

You'll get an official Griz Coat t-shirt plus your name on the website (see above). Griz Coat's Chief T-Shirt Design Wizard (CTSDW) will either enhance your inner hipster (if you like hipsters) or decrease your inner hipster (if you don't like them). All with the same t-shirt design. That's why he's a wizard.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

All the stuff above, plus we'll photoshop a portrait of you wearing a Griz Coat, which makes you a digital Griz Coat owner! Post that pic to Facebook, and we assure you that friend requests will start pouring in like a fine bottle of white zinfandel. Post it to LinkedIn, and you might get fired.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $250 or more
About $250

Due to popular demand, we’ve decided to make a second batch of Griz Coats! You will get the new and improved version from our second production run. Here’s how this is going to work: our pioneer group from the sold-out initial batch will receive their coats in May, then they’ll tell us what’s awesome and what could be even more awesome. Based on their feedback, we’ll design the upgrades, manufacture the new coats, and deliver them to you in July 2012. Plus, we'll throw in a t-shirt and your name on the website (optional). As before, shipping is included for any US destination. We're also happy to ship a coat internationally, but in that case we're requesting that you cover that cost.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $300 or more
About $300

We’ll send you a limited edition, all-white Griz Coat–Polar Bear edition! A bunch of people were asking for this, so over the last week we did some materials diligence, figured out how to get it done, and decided that a very-limited run of Griz Coats styled like polar bears was indeed possible. There will be a few minor tweaks to the current brown Griz Coat design, but basically substitute the brown faux-fur for white faux-fur, and you’ve got the basic idea for what it will look like. We haven’t had enough time to build a prototype yet, but we’ll be getting to that as soon as we can. Plus, we'll throw in a t-shirt and your name on the website (optional). As before, shipping is included for any US destination. We're also happy to ship a coat internationally, but in that case we're requesting that you cover that cost.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

You'll get the same stuff as a $200 pledge, plus a real oil-on-canvas painting of you wearing your Griz Coat! Hang this over your fireplace mantle and watch the expressions of joy and confusion that the painting incites. Our painter is a pro, and all he needs is a digital photo to work his magic.